The Aftermath
by Moonpumpkin
Summary: "So, what? Have you joined the Death Eaters now, too?" James hissed. "Because if you haven't by now, believe me, you're well on your way!" Sirius is ostracized from the Marauders after the Willow Prank, and the whole of Hogwarts feels the effects.
1. Chapter 1

**JK Rowling owns the HP universe and all its characters. I merely play.**

The shock had still not worn off. James was still in utter disbelief at what his best mate had actually done. He just couldn't believe it. This was Sirius—funny, charming, caring, and most of all,_ loyal_ Sirius. Well, so James had thought. Apparently he had thought wrong. James had to admire the fact that Sirius had owned up to it; a lesser man would have put off the confrontation for as long as possible, and avoided the friends he had hurt. But Sirius had always been gutsy. Why else would he be put in Gryffindor? Because as far as James was concerned, after the stunt Sirius had just pulled, he had been wrongly sorted. He shouldn't be in the house of the brave. He should have been in Slytherin, the house for the cunning. Sirius was a Black after all, no matter how much he tried to defy his family.

The four were in the Hospital Wing, surrounded by silence. Remus was glaring at Sirius from his cot, jaw set in fury. Peter's eyes were darting from Remus to Sirius to James to Sirius and then back to Remus, trying to decide what to do. Sirius's hands were shoved deep inside his pockets, and he hung his head, hiding his face behind his bangs. James was lost in his own thoughts, wondering what had happened to the boy in front of them, wondering when he had changed.

Remus was the first to break the silence. "So, you just told him? You told Snape my biggest secret, one that could have gotten him killed and me thrown into Azkaban? Just like that?" Remus looked terrible, the result of spending a full moon alone, something he had not done in years. He had fresh cuts on his arms and a marred ankle that Moony had apparently attempted to gnaw off. Purple bags surrounded sleepless eyes, which were only more noticeable in contrast ghostly pale skin. And his anger at Sirius's actions only seemed to further exhaust him. His amber eyes were burning in anger, desperately trying to understand what had gone through his friend's head.

"I didn't mean—" Sirius started, his voice strained, but Remus stopped him.

"Yes or no. Answer the question, Black."

There was a pause before Sirius whispered a quiet, ashamed, "Yes."

Remus sighed and looked away from him, swallowing heavily. He just couldn't look at the boy he had known for six years, the boy he had confided in for six years, the boy he had loved being friends with for every second of six years. Peter shook his head at Sirius and remained silent, obviously unable to understand how Sirius had let their friend's secret slip. But James—James was absolutely seething.

"So, what? Have you joined the Death Eaters now, too?" he hissed. His former best mate looked up at him with wide eyes, confused and guilty. "Because if you haven't by now, believe me, you're well on your way!"

"James, please, I—" Sirius pleaded, but James would have none of it.

"NO! No, you don't get to talk Black! Because that's exactly what you are—a Black!" Sirius winced and dropped his gaze to the floor as James continued to scream at him. "You're always the one that talks about loyalty and trust and friendship. How have you proved your loyalty, trustworthiness, and friendship lately? By blabbing Remus's secret and almost getting Snape _killed?_"

Suddenly Sirius looked up, clenching his fists, his face flushed with shame. "I never meant for it to get that far!" he shouted over James, effectively silencing him. Sirius took a deep breath and continued in a softer tone. "I'm not trying to make excuses, and I'm sorry. Merlin, I'm so sorry. Believe me; I'm just as disgusted with myself, if not more." James snorted at this but Sirius ignored him and pushed on. "I'm sorry. I was angry and… and I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean for it to get out of hand. It's no excuse, I know, but… that's what happened. I'm sorry," he finished in a whisper.

James growled low in his throat but clenched his jaw to keep it in. Instead, he turned to Remus, raising his eyebrows in question. Sirius shifted his gaze to the bedridden boy as well, straightening his spine in anticipation of his sentence. Remus stared at Sirius hard, holding his breath before sighing and shaking his head, closing his eyes. "That's not good enough. Not nearly." He opened his eyes, his expression sour. "Please," he whispered, "just get out."

Sirius swallowed hard, paler than normal. He shifted his gaze from Remus to Peter to James before dropping his eyes quickly. Nodding stiffly, he backed away slowly, turned, and trudged out of the Hospital Wing. The door made a heavy thudding noise as it shut behind him.

James continued to glare after Sirius. His anger was dissipating, giving way to disappointment. He had thought that Sirius was better than that, that he was different from his parents. How could James have been so blind? Once a Black, always a Black.

A muffled sniff interrupted his thoughts. Turning, he realized it had come from Remus; the lycanthrope had buried his face in his hands, trying to hide tears. Peter sat down on the cot next to him and wrapped an arm around him, but he looked to James with wide eyes, begging for help. "Forget him," James said soothingly, sitting on Remus' other side and placing a hand on his uninjured shin. "He's not worth it."

Remus shook his head and moved his hands from his face to wrap his arms around himself tightly, protectively. He looked small, fragile. James' anger toward Sirius increased tenfold. "I trusted him," Remus managed to choke out. "I trusted him."

**AN: Please review and give me constructive feedback. Updates will be kind of sporadic, but I'll try to be timely**


	2. Chapter 2

Everyone in the castle noticed. While only a select few actually knew the circumstances surrounding the rift in the Marauders, it wasn't difficult to tell that _something_ had happened, and who was at fault. Sirius was rarely seen anymore, and when he was, he kept his head down, only spoke when spoken to, and shuffled out of the room as quickly as possible.

On the occasions he happened to walk into the same room as the other three Marauders, the tension in the air was palpable. Upon seeing them, Sirius would freeze and what little color he had in his face would drain. The chatter in the room would cease, all the students watching the impending interaction with bated breath. James, Remus, and Peter would notice the sudden silence and glance up, noticing their former friend. Remus would drop his gaze quickly, a fierce blush creeping up his neck, and he would hunch more tightly over his book or parchment. Peter's eyes would scan Sirius' face, his expression a strange mix between frustration and pity, before turning to Remus in an attempt to distract him. James would glare defiantly at Sirius, as if daring him to approach them and try to talk. Sirius would then duck his head, shoulders hunched, and he would leave the room without retrieving whatever it was he came in for. Then the whispers would start.

There were several theories circulating about what could have possibly created a schism in such a tightly-knit group of friends. Some believed that Sirius had insulted Lily Evans and James had thrown a fit, but that didn't explain why Remus and Peter were so angry. Others thought that Sirius had tested out a new jinx on one of the Marauders and it had gone awry, but that had happened before—several times—and had never caused any lasting tension. The prevailing theory was that the falling out in itself was a prank the Marauders were playing on the school, though no one could work out what the end result would be. But that idea was eventually thrown out as well; the row had been going on for much too long and each boy looked far too upset for it all to be a rouse.

While it was concerning, the lack of pranks and other antics was actually somewhat welcome at first. The students—and the professors—all knew too well what it felt like to be the butt of a Marauder prank, and the row between them dispelled any and all pranks for its duration. For the first few days, it was pleasant only having to be wary of Peeves. After a week, it was suspicious (this was during the height of the rumor that the fight was a prank).

After two weeks, it was clear that the Marauders truly did have a falling out, and it didn't look to be mended any time soon. A general air of melancholy fell over the castle.

Lily Evans was determined to fix it.

While Lily was often reproached for being nosy and inserting herself in affairs that weren't hers, there was one group she refused to involve herself with more than necessary, and it included one pig-headed arse named James Potter. However, as loathe as she was to admit it, Hogwarts needed the Marauders. The war was getting more and more serious by the day, and their silliness and pranks helped lighten the mood and distract the Hogwarts inhabitants from the turmoil raging outside its walls. The idea that the Marauders, the most tightly-knit group of friends in the castle, could disintegrate left no hope for the rest of the students. Lily knew she had to talk to Sirius, as he was the one who had clearly been ostracized; the problem was that he was impossible to find. Years of dodging Filch, professors, prefects, and Head Boys and Girls had worked to his advantage. Sirius Black was proficient in the art of avoidance.

Lily was patrolling the seventh floor one night—in quite an irritable mood, as she'd caught at least four couples snogging in alcoves and broom closets and one Ravenclaw had given her an attitude when she ordered him back to his Common Room—when she heard a quiet shuffle down the corridor to her left. Huffing, she followed the noise, preparing her usual speech for the student out of bounds. She rounded the corner and immediately jumped back to hide herself, hoping she hadn't been seen. Peeking around the stone, she saw that Sirius was still pacing back and forth, his brow scrunched in deep thought. _What on Earth is he doing?_ she wondered. She was about to reveal herself when she heard the stone wall shifting. Sirius opened his eyes, sighed, and stepped toward the wall and out of her line of sight.

Once sure he was gone, Lily stepped out from around the corner, and found that a large oak door had appeared in the wall. She blinked several times, trying to remember if a door had ever been there before. She was fairly sure it never had; she had patrolled this corridor many times before, and there was only ever stone across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. Hesitantly she approached the door, hoping that it wasn't cursed. She lightly touched the doorknob, and when nothing happened, she gripped it, turned, and pushed the door open.

Inside was a small, sparsely furnished room. It contained a four-poster bed, a small fireplace, a desk and chair, and one Sirius Black. "Evans!" he started, jumping up from his seat on the bed, "how did you get in here?"

Lily was still gazing around herself in wonder—magic never ceased to amaze her—and answered absently, "I followed you."

Sirius huffed, leaning back against the four-poster again. "Figures. I've gotten too used to the cloak," he muttered to himself. Looking up, he asked, "Why're you here, Evans?"

Lily shifted her gaze to Sirius. He hardly looked like himself anymore; he was pale and skinny, his cheeks and eyes somewhat sunken in. His hair was disheveled, but not in his normal I-rolled-out-of-bed-like-this-look-how-sexy-I-am way, more in an I-could-barely-bring-myself-to-get-out-of-bed-let-alone-take-care-of-myself way. His lips were tightly pursed, and his eyes wary. This was not the Sirius Black she knew.

"I want to help," she said softly. She didn't know what to do with her hands; they felt heavy by her side, awkward on her hips, and confrontational crossed over her chest. She eventually settled for clasping them in front of her.

Sirius scoffed. "And how, exactly, do you plan to do that?" he sneered. Lily was vaguely surprised he hadn't tried to deny it. Though, to be fair, she had just caught him sleeping in a secret room rather than his dorm room—it wasn't exactly something he _could_ deny.

Lily opened her mouth and then closed it with a snap. She hadn't exactly thought that far ahead. "Well," she started, waving her hands in an effort to force the right words out, "what did you _do_?" Sirius just shook his head, and frustration bubbled up inside Lily. "Look Black, I can't help you if you won't tell me what caused all of this!"

"That's what started all this in the first place!" Sirius yelled. Lily jumped, caught off guard at the sudden outburst. Sirius had been so reserved lately, and she hadn't expected that kind of emotion from him. He began to pace around the room, talking more to himself than to her. "I wasn't able to keep my stupid mouth shut, and now my friends hate me. James glares at me constantly; I can feel his eyes burning through me anytime I'm anywhere in his line of sight. Peter looks at me like I'm this pitiful thing, like a half-squashed flobberworm or a kicked kneazle. And Remus…Merlin, Remus won't look at me at all, and that's the worst by far." Sirius collapsed back onto the bed facing away from Lily, as if all his energy had been sapped. He remained quiet, fingers clutching at his hair, and ignored Lily's presence.

Lily was at a loss. She sat lightly on the other side of the bed and placed a hand on Sirius' back. He jumped, startled, but didn't pay her any attention otherwise. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

Sirius dropped his hands to his lap and turned slightly, so half his face was visible but he wasn't really looking at Lily. "Why do you care?"

Lily removed her hand from his back and said honestly, "They're your friends, and it's awful to see you all like this. I mean, I don't know what happened, and I'm not pushing you to tell me," she rushed when Sirius opened his mouth in protest, and even though she did desperately want to know, "but you shouldn't have to hide from them all the time. It just seems like they're punishing you unjustly."

Sirius just shook his head and looked away from her again. "No, they're not. I deserve every bit of it."

Lily thought for a moment. "Have you tried talking to them?" she asked, well aware that it was probably the stupidest question she had asked in all her time at Hogwarts.

Predictably, Sirius nodded. "It didn't go well."

"Have you tried talking to them individually?"

"Evans, please, they're never not together. Merlin," he laughed humorlessly, "were we always like that?" Lily nodded, though he couldn't see. "Anyway," he continued, "they don't want to hear it. They don't want anything to do with me."

"You can't keep living here," she insisted.

"I have been for quite some time and will continue to do so, thank you very much," he responded tersely.

Lily sighed and stood. "I don't know what else to tell you, Black," she said. She started toward the door, but stopped short and turned back to the slumped boy. "Listen, I know they're your best friends, but they're not your only friends. If you ever need to talk or anything…Well, I don't mind."

Feeling sufficiently awkward, Lily left. As she was closing the door behind her, she heard Sirius' quiet voice. "Thank you, Lily."


End file.
